Preparing Your Site for Container Delivery

Why preparation matters

Most failed container deliveries come down to three things: the truck could not get in, the ground was too soft, or something overhead was in the way. Each one is easy to check before the truck leaves the Port Macquarie. A failed delivery is re-charged, so half an hour with a tape measure saves money.

This guide walks through what to measure, what to prepare and what to send us. It applies to every container AAD Logistics sells, from a 6ft mini to a 40ft high cube, and to the portable offices, cabins, ablution blocks and crib rooms.

Step 1: Know which vehicle is coming

The vehicle sets the access requirement. Containers up to 20ft usually arrive on a tilt tray, which reverses in a straight line and slides the container off the back. 40ft containers usually arrive on a side loader, which parks alongside and lifts the container off sideways. A Hiab or crane truck is used where neither works.

Read how container delivery works for the full comparison. The rest of this guide notes where the requirements differ between tilt tray and side loader.

Step 2: Measure the approach

Width

The truck needs to pass every gate, fence line, retaining wall and tree trunk between the street and the final position. Measure the narrowest point. A container is 2,438 mm wide and the truck is wider than the container, so allow for the vehicle’s mirrors and wheel track. Note anything that can be moved on the day, such as a gate or a parked car.

Straight run (tilt tray)

A tilt tray reverses in, then the container slides off behind it in line with the truck. Typical requirement is about 2.5 times the container length plus the truck. For a 20ft (6,058 mm) plan on roughly 15 m of container run plus the truck’s own length. For a 10ft it is less; for a 6ft or 8ft, less again. A bend in the driveway breaks the straight run.

Side clearance (side loader)

A side loader parks parallel to the final position and needs clear space along one side for the crane legs and the container’s path. The truck is a semi trailer, so the access road, turning area and any gate must accept it. Tight cul-de-sacs and steep driveways are the usual problem.

Turning

Both vehicles need somewhere to turn or to reverse from. Note whether the truck can turn around on your property or will need to reverse in from the street.

Step 3: Check overhead clearance

This is the check people skip. A container on a tilt tray sits higher than the container alone, and as the deck tilts the leading end rises further. A side loader lifts the container over the edge of the trailer. In both cases the container passes higher than its resting height.

• Look for power lines, phone lines and cables along the whole route.
• Look for eaves, awnings, carport roofs and shed gutters near the final position.
• Look for branches. Trimming is far cheaper than a failed delivery.

Remember the height difference: a standard container is 2,591 mm high and a high cube is 2,896 mm. If overhead is tight, a standard height unit may fit where a high cube does not. See standard vs high cube.

Step 4: Check the ground

The truck stands fully loaded on your ground, and the container is then set down on it. Both need firm support.

Ground that works

• Concrete, asphalt and compacted road base.
• Dry, firm natural ground on a level or gently sloping site.
• Well-compacted gravel that has been down for a season.

Ground that causes problems

• Soft or recently wet soil, especially after rain. A loaded truck sinks and a side loader’s stabiliser legs punch in.
• Sand without a firm base.
• Lawn over soft soil. It looks firm and is not.
• Steep slopes. A tilt tray cannot slide a container off safely across a slope, and a container placed on a slope will sit twisted.

If your ground is marginal, tell us. A Hiab can sometimes place a container from a firm driveway onto softer ground nearby, within its reach.

Step 5: Prepare the footing

A container should not sit directly on soil. It traps moisture under the floor and the understructure rusts. Prepare the footing before delivery, because the driver places the container once and does not lift it again.

• Bearers or blocks at each corner. Concrete blocks, treated timber sleepers or steel bearers under the corner castings keep the container off the ground and let air move beneath. This is the simplest option for a storage container.
• Level them. The container is a rigid box. If the corners are out of level, the doors bind. Use a string line and a level across all four corners.
• Slab or piers. For a garage, office or a unit that will be lined out, a slab or concrete piers give a permanent base. Set the piers to the corner casting positions: 6,058 × 2,438 mm for a 20ft, 12,192 × 2,438 mm for a 40ft.
• Drainage. Make sure water runs away from the footing, not under it.

A tilt tray slides the container off in a straight line, so blocks placed in the path need to be low enough not to catch the rails. If in doubt, let the driver place the container on the ground and jack the corners onto blocks afterwards.

Step 6: Council and neighbours

Council approval may be needed for placement, depending on your property, the container’s use and how long it stays. Rules differ between councils, so check with your local council before delivery rather than after. If the truck will block a shared driveway or a street for a time, let the neighbours know.

Step 7: Send us the details

At checkout there are site access fields. Filling them in properly is the single most useful thing you can do. Include the following.

1. The delivery address and the best contact phone number for the day.
2. Whether the site is a house block, acreage, farm, commercial yard or construction site.
3. The narrowest width on the approach and the length of straight run available.
4. Any overhead obstacles, with heights if you have them.
5. Ground type at the truck’s standing position and at the final position.
6. Photos. One from the street looking in, one of the final position, and one of anything you are unsure about.

We use this to book the right vehicle. If the site calls for a Hiab or crane, we will quote before booking. Orders are processed in 1 to 3 business days and delivered typically 4 to 7 business days after that.

On the day

• Be there, or have someone there who can take the driver’s call and make decisions.
• Move cars, bins, trailers and anything in the run.
• Have the footing ready and marked so the driver knows exactly where the container goes.
• Walk the route with the driver before unloading starts.
• Check the container before signing. On a used unit, dents, rust and markings are expected; holes and door faults are not.

Pre-delivery checklist

Check	Tilt tray (up to 20ft)	Side loader (40ft)
Approach width	Truck plus mirrors	Semi trailer plus mirrors
Run	Straight, about 2.5 × container length plus truck	Parallel parking space beside the final position
Overhead	Clear above the run and the tilted container	Clear above the truck and the lift path
Ground	Firm under the truck and at the drop	Firm under the truck and the stabiliser legs
Footing	Bearers or blocks in place and level	Bearers, blocks or piers in place and level
Council	Checked	Checked
Contact on site	Yes	Yes

Delivery is AUD 745 per unit within the standard service area, shown at checkout. Remote, restricted and multi-unit deliveries are quoted. Browse the shipping container range or read buying a shipping container in Australia.